Controlling apparatus for winches



March 28, 1939. 5 G. T. MACFARLANE 2,152,555

CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR WINCHES Filed July 7, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet lFIGI.

lo I. j 9 as P March 28, 1939. G MACFARLANE 2,152,555

CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR WINCHES Filed July '7, 193'? 3 Sheets-SheetIWU March 28, 1939. T MACFARLANE 2,152,555

CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR WINCHES Filed July 7, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 5/71 ey?for $60 719 Tyya rzaye Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNl'i'ED STATESA'E'EN'E OFFICE CQNTROLLING APPARATUS F01. WINCHES Application July 7,1937, Serial No. 152,450 In Great Britain December 15, 1936 2 Claims.

This invention relates to winch gear for hauling, cargo working and likepurposes with more especial reference to single barrel or single drumWinches or those made up of a plurality of such single drum units.

Embodiments of winch gear of this general character are described. inthe specification of co-pending application Serial No. 150,204 whereincombined clutch and differential or epicyclic reversing gear isinterposed between the main or power shaft driving the drum or barrelthrough reduction gear and its prime mover, e. g., an electric motor.

In all constructions of winch gear of this character, it is desirable toprovide controlling means which are as near foolproof as possible, andthe present invention has for its object the provision of means andapparatus to this end.

Further and favourable objects will appear from the followingdescription:

Apparatus for controlling winch gear for hauling, cargo working and likepurposes according to the present invention, includes interlocking meanspreventing the brakes, clutches and other elements to be controlled frombeing operated in other than a predetermined sequence or sequences.

Preferably, the controls are grouped and connected to a single controlwheel equipped, it may be, with a dead mans handle so that on release italways returns to safety position in which the operating parts areretained stationary.

Hoisting is effected by movement of the wheel in one direction fromnormal position so as to close the hoisting brake, the holding andlowering brake remaining on so as to hold the hook immediately thecontrol wheel is released or otherwise returned to normal position. Forlowering, the wheel is moved in the other direction, the hoisting brakeor clutch remaining open and the initial movement of the wheel releasingor partially releasing the holding brake whereon if the hook is loaded,lowering ensues, or if the hook is empty, resort can be had to furthermovement of the control wheel which throws in the lowering clutch todrive down the empty hook.

Before the hoisting clutch or brake can again be re-engaged, the controlwheel requires to be first returned to normal position whereon thelowering clutch is opened and the holding brake re-engaged to hold thehook in any hoisted position, a unidirectional clutch or free wheelbeing associated with the lowering brake to permit the hoistingoperation.

jacent the control panel or platform of the driving motor is connectedthrough bevel gearing to a control shaft extending along the winchparallel to the main shaft and at right angles to the shaft and the drumor barrel.

This control shaft mounts at or near its end 10:

remote from the control wheel a releasing gear for the holding andlowering brake and in rear thereof an operating tine or lever for thehoisting brake, and still further along its length, towards the controlwheel end a nut or other actuating mechanism for throwing in thelowering clutch, it being understood that rotation in one direction ofthe control shaft applies the hoisting brake, rotation in the otherdirection first releasing this brake, then after the control wheelpasses neutral position releasing the lowering brake, and lastly, in thelimit operative position closes the lowering clutch, both brakes beingoff.

Where the epicyclic gear is carried on the main drum shaft with alayshaft carrying the holding and hoisting brakes and the loweringclutch, it may be found more convenient for the control wheel to actuatethrough levers, in which case a sliding toothed rack is convenientlycombined with the hand wheel, this rack carrying an abutment which whenthe hand wheel is moved in one direction contacts and swings a bellcrank lever closing the hoisting brake, while on movement of the wheelin the other direction, it first contacts with the lever partially orwholly to release the holding brake, and subsequently either by furthermovement of the same lever or by resort to a third, closes the loweringclutch, all the levers being weighted or spring urged to ensure theirreturn to neutral safety position.

The invention will be further described with reference to theaccompanying explanatory drawings, which illustrate one embodiment ofcontrol apparatus applied to a single drum winch in accordance with thespecification of the aforementioned co-pending application, and wherein-Fig. 1' is a horizontal section through the winch, clearly showing thequadrated disposition of the barrel shaft and main shaft, and on thelatter, the clutches, brakes and epicyclic gear to be controlled.

Fig. 2 is a detail and elevational view of the brake and clutch gearwith its associated control mechanism. I 5

Figure 3 is a view taken along the lines 33 of Figure 2 with portionsremoved to more clearly show the details of the hoisting brakemechanism,

the brake lever being shown as spring urged.

Figure 4 is a detail view of the holding brake mechanism showing aWeighted brake lever and the preferred form of free wheeling clutch.

Figure 5 is a detail view of the actuating controls of the overhaulingclutch.

Referring now to the drawings, but first more particularly to Figs. 1and 2, the detailed construction of the winch is fully described in theaforementioned co-pending application and includes the drum or barrelshaft, generally designated I, carrying the main or hoisting drum 2 andsuitably supported for rotation in bearings in a main winch housing 3.

,Within the housing 3 the shaft I mounts at worm wheel 4 enmeshed with aWorm 5 on a main shaft 5 which also carries epicyclic reduction gear I,connecting such shaft with a driving motor 8, and for the regulation ofsuch epicyclic gear 1, a hoisting brake 9 having a brake band I0.

At its other end the main shaft 6 carries a holding brake I I having abrake band I2, a unidirectional clutch or free wheel I 3 connecting thebrake drum II with the main shaft 6 and permitting such shaft to turn ina direction torotate the drum 2 for hoisting while the brake band I2 ofthe holding brake II remains on.

For hoisting, the brake band It of the hoisting brake 9 is applied andholds the planet cage of the epicyclic gear I stationary, whereat thedrive is transmitted from the motor 8 to the main shaft 6 at a reducedratio, and thence through the worm reduction to the drum shaft I, theholding brake H remaining applied and being operative to hold the loadin any hoisted position.

For lowering, the brake band I2 of the holding brake II is released,while for driving down the empty hook, provision is made for rotatingthe barrel 2 by means of an overhauling or lowering clutch I4 which isoperative to couple the planet cage to the sun wheel of the epicyclicgear I, thus causing the latter to rotate solidly and transmit-- tingthe drive from the motor to the main shaft at double speed in thereverse direction.

To ensure actuation of the hoisting brake 9, holding brake I I andoverhauling clutch I 4 in the necessary sequence to prevent conflict,with resulting damage to the mechanism and danger to the operatives,resort is had to a unified control at a single control wheel 20,operating a control shaft 2I, whereon are interlocking means preventingoperation of the brakes and clutches in other than the predeterminedsequence.-

The control wheel 20 is disposed at a convenient location for theoperator, being carried by a gear box 22, supported by a tubularextension 23 of the main winch housing 3, the gear box 22 enclosing abevel 24 on the shaft of the control wheel 20, enmeshed with a similarbevel 25 on the main control shaft 2| running across the winch housingparallel with the brake and clutch carrying shaft 6.

The control shaft 2| is furnished with suitable bearings 26 and 21 inthe housing 3, and within such housing mounts cams 28 and 29 for theoperation respectively of the brake band ID of the hoisting brake 9 andthe brake band I2 of the holding brake I I, to apply the former forhoisting and to release the latter for lowering.

With reference more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, the actuating cam 28for the brake band I0 of the hoisting brake 9 co-operates with a tappet30 on a rocker shaft 3|, which, at its other end carries a cam oreccentric 32, in turn co-operating with an adjustable link 33 carryingthe free end34 of the brakeband I9, the arrangement being such that asthe control shaft 2| is rotated in a clockwise direction in Fig. 3, thecam 28 abuts with the tappet 30 and the rocker shaft 3| is turnedsufflciently to apply the brake band II! of the hoisting brake 9.

35 is a release spring which returns the rocker shaft 3! with its tappet33 and cam 32 to pristine position, when the control shaft 2I isreturned to normal position by the control wheel 20.

The actuation of the brake band I2 of the hold ing brake I I is similar,except that on actuation it is released from its normally appliedcondition, and as will be seen more clearly from Fig. 4, its actuatingcam 29 is reversed and co-operates with a tappet 49 on a rocker shaft 4I, the other end of which mounts a cam 42, coupled through an adjustablelink 43 to the end 44 of the brake band I2, the rocker shaft 4I alsomounting an arm 45 bearing a counterpoise 46 tending to rock the shaft4! in a direction to hold the brake band I2 normally applied, and afterits release by actuation of the cam 29 to re-apply such band I2 of theholding brake II.

The actuating cams 28 and 29 are so located on the control shaft 21 thatin the mid or neutral position of the control wheel 29 neither isoperative, movement of the control wheel to one side of its neutralposition applying the hoisting brake, and it being necessary to returnthe wheel to neutral and to move it in the other'direction to releasethe holding brake for lowering. 1

To bring in the overhauling clutch I4 for driving down the empty hook afurther movement of the control wheel 20 in the lowering direction iscalled for, the holding brake II thus remaining released and theoverhauling clutch I4 being coupled by the mechanism now to bedescribed, with reference more particularly to Figs. 2 and 5.

On the control shaft 2| within the tubular extension 23 is secured anexternally screw threaded sleeve 53 upon which rides a nut 5I having alateral projection or ear 52, sliding in a longitudinal slot 53 in thetubular extension 23 and permitting the nut 5I to travel along the shaft2I, when the latter is rotated while holding the nut 5I againstrotation.

The projection 52 carries a screw threaded stud 54 serving as anabutment for a lever 55 mounted on a cross shaft 55, which in turncarries actuating levers 51 for the collar 58 of the overhauling clutchI4, the arrangement being such that as the control shaft 2i is rotatedby movement of the control wheel beyond the lowering position, the nut5| moves towards the right in Fig. 2, and, operating through theabutment 54 and levers 55 and 57, closes the overhauling clutch I4 tocouple the motor 8 with the main shaft 5 for rotation of the latter inthe reverse direction to normal without the intermediate reduction gearI being operative.

59 is a return spring for the lever 55 serving to open the clutch I4 onits being released by the nut 51, when the control wheel 20 is returnedto normal position.

The driving motori! is furnished with a switch, and is preferablyarranged to run constantly during the time the winch is in operation.

The winchgear with its controlling apparatus according to the invention,eliminates the necessity for the costly provision of a solenoid brake,since with the control Wheel 20 in neutral position,

the drum 2 is held stationary, and as will be understood any appropriatemeans may be asso ciated with such control wheel to ensure its positiVereturn to safety position on release. W'here desired, the control wheel29 may be located away from the winch and connected to the shaft 21mechanically, electrically, or in other appropriate manner.

By the present invention the control of winchgear for hauling, cargoworking and like purposes is rendered substantially foolproof, alllikelihood of conflicting operations within the winch itself beingremoved.

What I claim is: c

1. In apparatus for controlling winchgear, including holding andhoisting brakes and a free wheel for the holding brake comprising asingle control element and actuating means for the holding and hoistingbrakes so connected to the control element that the holding brakeremains applied when the hoisting brake is actuated while the hoistingbrake remains released when the holding brake is released.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 including a planet gear drive and anoverhauling clutch giving a high speed reverse drive through the planetgear for overhauling wherein the actuating means for such clutch are soconnected to the control e1ement that both brakes are released beforethe overhauling clutch is connected.

GEORGE THOMAS MACFARLANE.

